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From the Gold Rush of 1849 to the present day, California has beckoned newcomers with its promises of scenic beauty, temperate climate, success and the dream of a new way of life. Home of the first pair of blue jeans (in 1853), the first popsicle (in 1905), the first movie studio (in 1908), and the first ATM (in 1970), California has broken new ground in agriculture, transportation, fashion, cuisine, entertainment, and technology, as well as in many other areas.
The earliest inhabitants of the California area were descendants of Asians who crossed into North America via the Bering Straits. Hundreds of distinct Indian tribes inhabited the territory when it was occupied by the Spanish in the 18th century. Although Portuguese and Spanish explorers were the first Europeans to reach California in 1542, the region was claimed for England in 1579 by Sir Francis Drake. Settlement, however, did not begin until 1769, with the establishment of the first of 21 missions along the coast from San Diego to Sonoma, by Spanish Franciscan monks under the leadership of Father Junipero Serra. Two thirds of the native population died as a result from the influx of new diseases.
In the 19th century, when Mexico became independent from Spain and California came under Mexican rule, many Mexican landowners emigrated to California bringing nonindigenous plants and animals along with their ranching and agriculture practices. American and Russian trappers were also attracted to the state in the early 1800s capitalizing on seal, sea otter and beaver pelts. The Oregon Trail brought in many settlers from the eastern U.S. by 1841. Independence from Mexican rule was achieved with the Bear Flag Revolt in 1846 and finalized in 1848 with the Treaty of Guadalupe. That year also kicked off the largest human migration in history, the famous Gold Rush, with the discovery of gold at Sutter’s sawmill in Coloma. The ensuing arrival of settlers grew the state’s population by nearly 300,000 over the next couple years.
California became the 31st state of the Union in 1850 and its capital was moved from Benicia to Sacramento in 1854. The state’s first winery, Buena Vista Winery, was established in 1857 in Sonoma. Sacramento served as the end of the line for the famous Pony Express which ran for a year and a half in 1860 and 1861 before completion of the Pacific Telegraph line. The mail courier service route, which began in Missouri, covered 1966 miles (3,164 kilometers) and usually took riders, switching horses every 15 miles (24 kilometers), about 10 days to complete.
The nation’s first transcontinental railroad was established in 1869, ending California’s isolation from the rest of the country and changing its economy forever. The decades around the turn of the 20th century saw rapid growth for the state. To supply the ever expanding population and agricultural build-up, diversions and damming of most rivers for irrigation, hunting of native game species and conversion of their habitats, and exploitation of forests and mining resources were commonplace. Luckily, the need to preserve natural spaces was recognized and with the work of naturalist John Muir, the first National Parks were established (Sequoia Park, Kings Canyon, and Yosemite) in 1890, in what was the start of the conservation movement.
The Dust Bowl during the Great Depression of the 1930s resulted in 10,000 new settlers to California each month. Throughout the 1900s, the state’s population multiplied, and while maintaining its strong agricultural foothold (with the top agricultural economy in the country), its economy diversified. Writers, dancers and early movie-makers gave voice to California’s burgeoning literary and entertainment industries in the early 1900s. Urban development took over much of the San Francisco Bay area and southern coast. Silicon Valley made technological history with the personal computing revolution of the late 1900s. Today, the Golden State’s top industries include agriculture, tourism, telecommunications, entertainment, engineering and manufacturing while it is poised for continuing prosperity with future advancements in many fields, including biotechnology, aerospace and microelectronics. The state’s tremendous growth is accompanied by challenges in energy production, environmental protection, elementary and secondary education, and other aspects of its population’s welfare.
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